| Acknowledgments | xii |
| Personal Note from Christine Conrad | xiii |
| Foreword | xix |
| Foreword | xxii |
| Foreword | xxiv |
| Part 1 | Understanding Natural Hormones | |
| 1 | What Are Natural Hormones? | 3 |
| 2 | Using Natural Hormones | 19 |
| 3 | Diet, Supplements, and Exercise-Keys to Hormonal Health | 29 |
| 4 | Finding Your Hormonal Profile | 37 |
| PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome) and Hormone Imbalance | 37 |
| Perimenopause | 46 |
| Surgical Menopause | 50 |
| Menopause | 53 |
| Postmenopause | 56 |
| Part 2 | Your Questions Answered | |
| 5 | Hormones and Your Body | 61 |
| What are hormones? | 61 |
| How do hormones work? | 62 |
| What is a natural hormone? | 64 |
| What is a bio-identical hormone? | 64 |
| What's the difference between a synthesized hormone and a synthetic hormone? | 64 |
| What is a precursor hormone? | 65 |
| What is estrogen? | 65 |
| What's the difference between natural plant-derived estrogen and synthetic estrogen? | 68 |
| My doctor says Premarin is natural because it's made from horse urine, which comes from nature. Is he right? | 69 |
| What are the possible side effects of Premarin? | 69 |
| I've heard the phrase estrogen dominance. What does it mean? | 70 |
| What is tri-estrogen? | 70 |
| What is bi-estrogen? | 71 |
| What is a phytoestrogen? | 71 |
| What are isoflavones? Are they hormones? | 73 |
| I've been told that estriol protects against breast cancer. Is this true? | 73 |
| What is progesterone? | 74 |
| What is the difference between natural progesterone and synthetic progestins? | 76 |
| What are the possible side effects of progestins such as Provera? | 77 |
| Does natural progesterone protect against endometrial cancer? | 79 |
| Does natural progesterone carry the same cancer risks as Provera? | 79 |
| Do natural hormones lower "bad" cholesterol (LDL) and raise "good" cholesterol (HDL)? | 80 |
| What is testosterone? | 81 |
| What is DHEA? | 81 |
| What is pregnenolone? | 82 |
| What is cortisol? Is it a hormone? | 82 |
| What is a xenoestrogen? | 82 |
| How does diet affect my hormones? | 83 |
| How does digestion affect hormone levels? | 84 |
| What are the benefits of natural hormones? | 87 |
| Can hormone replenishment prevent Alzheimer's disease? | 88 |
| Will natural hormones improve my skin? | 89 |
| My hair is thinning. Will natural hormones help? | 91 |
| When I look in the mirror, I see the beginnings of middle-age spread. Do hormones have anything to do with this? Can taking natural hormones help? | 91 |
| Can taking hormones give me more energy? | 93 |
| 6 | Using Natural Hormones | 95 |
| How can I get natural hormones? | 95 |
| How do I take natural hormones-or what's a "delivery system"? | 95 |
| What's a compounding pharmacy? | 99 |
| If I want to use an over-the-counter natural hormone, how do I choose among them? | 100 |
| How much do natural hormones cost? | 102 |
| Will my insurance company pay for natural hormones? | 103 |
| What does it mean to individualize hormones? | 103 |
| If I use natural hormones, will my periods continue? | 104 |
| I'm on Premarin/Provera, but I want to quit taking them because of side effects. Before I switch to naturals, I'd like to get my hormone levels tested. Should I stop taking the Premarin/Provera altogether before I get tested? If so, for how long? | 105 |
| Are natural hormones FDA-approved? | 106 |
| I have a friend who is very happy with the Climera patch. How does a hormone patch work, and are there any risks involved? | 107 |
| What about the brand-name oral natural estrogens such as Estrace and Estratest? | 107 |
| Are there any brand-name natural progesterone products? | 108 |
| When I asked my doctor about naturals, she suggested I try Ogen or Ortho-Est, which she said are plant-derived. Are they the same as naturals? | 109 |
| Are there side effects with naturals? | 109 |
| Will natural hormones make me gain weight as Premarin does? | 110 |
| Will taking natural hormones help normalize my sleep patterns? | 111 |
| My doctor says that despite the 2002 NIH study repudiating Prempro, he won't consider prescribing bio-identical hormones, as he says there are no long-term studies to support their use. How do I answer him? | 112 |
| My doctor says that taking hormones transdermally doesn't work. She says that you would have to slather your whole body with them to get any absorption. Is she right? | 112 |
| Since the results of the NIH study of 2002, my doctor has switched me to the patch, Climera-Pro. When I asked him if it was a natural/bio-identical hormone, he said yes. Is he giving me the right information? | 113 |
| 7 | PMS, Hormone Imbalance, and Natural Hormones | 115 |
| Does progesterone help alleviate PMS? | 115 |
| My periods can be very irregular. Can naturals help me? | 116 |
| I have excessive bleeding and my doctor has prescribed Provera. Will this help? Can I take natural progesterone instead? | 116 |
| I have fibrocystic breasts. Can natural hormones help me? | 117 |
| I have fibroids. My doctor has recommended a hysterectomy. A friend said she eliminated her fibroids by taking progesterone. Is this possible? | 117 |
| 8 | Fertility, Birth Control Pills, and Natural Hormones | 119 |
| I'm trying to get pregnant, and I've heard that fertility clinics use natural progesterone as part of their treatment plan. Can I do it myself with progesterone cream? | 119 |
| I'm 35 and still get PMS like a 14-year-old. I use a diaphragm for birth control. If I take natural progesterone to control my PMS, will it make me more fertile? | 120 |
| My sister had horrible postpartum depression. Can I take natural hormones after I deliver my baby to avoid this condition? | 120 |
| Do birth control pills "mask" symptoms of perimenopause? | 121 |
| When I told my gynecologist I was beginning to feel as if I'm in perimenopause, he prescribed the contraceptive pill Loestrin to keep my bones strong and reduce my mood swings. I'm not even in a relationship! Does this make sense? | 122 |
| I'm 42 and have been on birth control pills for five years. I'd like to get off, but my gynecologist told me I should keep taking them because they protect against endometrial and ovarian cancer. Is he right? What are the natural hormone alternatives to the Pill in terms of cancer protection? | 122 |
| I'm 44 and am taking birth control pills, but I'm curious as to whether I'm in perimenopause. Can I get my hormone levels tested even though I'm on the Pill? | 123 |
| 9 | Perimenopause and Natural Hormones | 125 |
| I'm 46. About a year ago I noticed a drastic change in my emotions-I cry at the least provocation. My doctor suggested Prozac, but that seems extreme. Can I treat my blues with natural hormones? | 125 |
| I'm in perimenopause and have started to suffer from severe headaches and anxiety attacks. Can natural hormones help me? | 127 |
| I seem to be losing my sex drive. Help! | 128 |
| I'm in perimenopause and my doctor gave me Estrace. It didn't help at all-in fact, it made me feel worse. Why is that? | 129 |
| 10 | Menopause and Natural Hormones | 131 |
| Since menopause began, I could swear my brain cells are dying off. I'm getting really scattered, and it's beginning to frighten me. What's going on, and can natural hormones help? | 131 |
| I entered menopause about two years ago, and my mood swings are driving me (and my family) crazy. Will natural hormones help stabilize my emotions? | 132 |
| My hot flashes have become a nonstop source of embarrassment to me. Can natural hormones provide some relief? | 133 |
| I'm experiencing a lot of vaginal dryness since I stopped my periods. It's seriously interfering with my sex life. Can hormones help? | 134 |
| I've been on Premarin/Provera for five years and I feel fine. Why should I switch to natural hormones? | 134 |
| How do I switch from Premarin/Provera (also Prempro and Premphase) to the naturals? | 135 |
| I hear that soy contains phytoestrogens. Can I control my menopausal symptoms by just eating lots of tofu? | 136 |
| I've heard about taking black cohosh for menopausal symptoms. Is this a natural hormone? | 137 |
| Can traditional herbal remedies such as dong quai relieve my menopausal symptoms? | 138 |
| I'm 55 and feel fine. My doctor just prescribed Premarin/Provera because he says I have to protect myself against heart disease and osteoporosis. What should I do? | 139 |
| There is heart disease in my family. I have no real menopausal symptoms, but should I take estrogen for prevention? | 141 |
| I'm taking Provera along with Premarin to protect against endometrial cancer. Will it? | 142 |
| I've had breast cancer. What can I do for menopausal symptoms? | 143 |
| Do women in menopause need to supplement testosterone? | 143 |
| A friend in menopause is taking only progesterone to control her symptoms. She says her doctor told her she doesn't need estrogen. Can I do this too? | 144 |
| I see DHEA advertised in magazines for "mature" readers. What is it? Should I take it? | 145 |
| I hate the idea that I'm still bleeding at age 58 while taking Premarin/Provera. Will the same be true on naturals? | 146 |
| 11 | Hysterectomies and Natural Hormones | 147 |
| I've had a complete hysterectomy. My doctor has prescribed estrogen, but do I also need to take progesterone? | 147 |
| I've had a hysterectomy but my ovaries are still intact. How do they affect my hormones? Do I need hormone replacement? | 148 |
| My doctor tells me that after my hysterectomy I will be in "surgical menopause." How is this different from regular menopause? | 149 |
| A year ago I had a hysterectomy and was prescribed Premarin. I've already gained twenty-five pounds and can't exercise it off. Why? | 150 |
| I'm 70 and just had a hysterectomy. Do I need to replace hormones? | 151 |
| Since my hysterectomy I have no interest in sex, Will natural hormones help? | 152 |
| 12 | Healthy Bones and Natural Hormones | 155 |
| I've just had a bone mineral density test and it says I'm at high risk for osteoporosis. What does that mean? | 155 |
| Why do bones lose their mass? | 156 |
| Which naturals should I take for osteoporosis? | 156 |
| My friend, who is 70, is taking Evista for her osteoporosis. She says it's a designer estrogen. What does that mean? | 157 |
| My doctor has prescribed Fosamax for my osteoporosis. What is it? | 158 |
| Can I just take Tums with calcium for my bones? | 159 |
| Can I just exercise and improve my diet to increase bone mass? | 160 |
| Looking Forward | 161 |
| How Do the Recent NIH Study Results Relate to Natural/Bio-identical Hormones? | 165 |
| Resources | 176 |
| Doctor Referrals | 176 |
| Resources for Hormone Testing | 177 |
| Recommended Products | 178 |
| Compounding Pharmacies | 179 |
| Bibliography | 181 |
| Index | 183 |
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